I have often read the opening line of II Timothy chapter
three and quickly glossed over the phrase about the “perilous times of the last
days,” and automatically summated that the inference was simply and solely about
the coming holocaust pertaining to modern warfare and the tragic events of the
Great Tribulation. While that conclusion is certainly accurate concerning the
climax of the perilous times, it doesn’t take into account the fact that there
shall be an intense and subtly contrived time of exponentially increasing danger
before the Tribulation ever starts.

II Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall
come.

This startling statement from Timothy seems to
glare out like a flashing neon sign warning us (Church) that there is a dire
emergency situation just over the hill. Well my friends, take it from a fervent
student of the times in which we live, we long ago passed over the hilltop where
the warning sign flashes. We are already well within a full panoramic view of
the climactic perilous situation, a perilous journey that is going to get worse
and worse as we travel further along history’s pathway. This admonishment of
Timothy to be keenly aware about “perilous times” stands as a stark warning to
the Christian of the Last Days. It should beacon an alert to every spiritual
soldier of Christ to be on special watch-guard as he observes the multitude of
signs that begin to come to pass in the Last Days!

The Greek word for our translated English word perilous is chalepos.The term chalepos means to “reduce the
strength of an intended target” in the specific relationship of making
the one targeted more susceptible to a furious, fierce and dangerous onslaught.
The phrase is intended to convey to the reader that the powers of darkness in
the Last Days will intensify their conspiratorial strategy against Christ’s
followers for the design of rendering them as an easy prey. This ominous
stalking of the prey is also depicted in I Peter 5:8 where Satan is portrayed as
a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. While Satan has always lurked around
as a ravening beast, it is apparent from the scriptural rendering of this verse
that the supernatural enemies of God (Satan-demons) and the earthly enemies of
Christ and his Church, will conspire together to extricate a covert supernatural
assault in an attempt to undermine the very foundations of the “Christian
strength” on the earth in the Last Days, before the final Satanic
offensive against Israel that shall occur during the Great Tribulation.

Timothy’s reference to these “perilous times in the Last
Days” has a familiar parallel of refrain in eschatology dealing with the
conspiratorial rise and climactic appearance of the Antichrist. I have no doubt
that Paul and Timothy discussed the subject of the Last Days on numerous
occasions, and that Paul shared with young Timothy a tremendous wealth of
information about the perilous conditions that the Church and the world would
face just before Jesus returned. Lets look once again closely at Paul’s overview
of these perilous times.

II Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be
not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by
letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you
by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a “falling
away first”,

The Perilous Times Have A Direct Relationship to the Falling Away!

It is my firm contention that the perilous times of the Last
Days have a direct relationship with the Laodicean church age (Revelation
3:14-20) and the great Falling Away of the general church as a whole in the days
just preceding the emergence of the Antichrist. We note in Paul’s exhortation
that the “falling away” comes first, and only afterwards then may the man of sin
be revealed in his time. Paul continues on to say that the “mystery of iniquity”
was already working in the 1st century, but that it is checked by a
withholder or restrainer, or by the multi-faceted work of the Holy Spirit
working within and throughout the body of the Church. Paul is saying that the
withholding capacity of the Holy Spirit would gradually be withdrawn in the Last
Days (until being removed altogether via the rapture) leaving the world more and
more subjected to times of peril.

And for the diminishing leagues of Christian strength in the
Last Days, its is apparent that the Church of the last days will have to
struggle mightily against forces of deception. Thus concerning the Last Days,
and the perilous zone of danger that shall preclude the Tribulation, Timothy
picks up from Paul’s inference about the Day of the Lord and its relationship to
the Antichrist, by describing in great detail what the perilous times will be
like. Timothy’s purpose was to teach the Christian to watch for the signs of the
return of the Lord in the Last Days, and from that knowledge learn to anticipate
a supernatural onslaught from Satan against the very foundations of the Church.
In the Last Days Timothy says that the Church can expect to see the world
society and the world culture exhibit the following characteristics:

II Timothy 3:2-8 For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors,
heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort
are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins,
led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come
to the knowledge of the truth.

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also
resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the
faith.)

Men Shall be Lovers of Themselves and Lovers of Pleasure

The Greek terms philedonos and philautos (selfish,
self serving) precisely describe the prevailing heart condition of mankind in
the last days. They will be self-serving, egotistical, arrogant, pursuers of
pleasure, rather than possessors of the trait to love thy neighbor as thyself.
These attitudes personify today’s culture that is almost wholly engrossed in
sports, entertainment, and Materialism. (today’s modern culture is dramatically
opposite from the command to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and to be
content with Godliness) Modern society is preoccupied with amassing wealth and
pursuing pleasure. Thus the dramatic rise in gambling, lotteries, sports cults,
rock star worship, and party mania.

Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, refers to the
fact that men place their own wishes in the center of life. They worship the
self instead of God. The final condemnation of these people is that they retain
the outward form of religion but deny its power. That is to say, they go through
all the correct movements and maintain all the external forms of religion; but
they know nothing of Christianity and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Covetous (symptom of Materialism)

The primary connotation of covetousness (philaurguros)
is that of being given over to (lusting after) a carnal love of or greed for
material or personal possessions. To lust is to exhibit a craving based on one's
carnal (fleshly or one's "sin nature") desires. Coveting can come in any form of
impure desire for another person's property or personal worship of any goods,
possessions or another person’s celebrity status, such as idol worship.
Covetousness today is associated with forms of gambling, lotteries, investments
and other activities of chance where the motives behind the participation in
these activities are strictly selfish and centeredon
one's love for money, and our culture’s overwhelming preoccupation with
materialism. (Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware
of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth.) Coveting has become a humanistic hallmark of
our modern materialistic society. Coveting in today’s culture is commonplace and
is human avarice is constantly be fed by fifth avenue commercialism.

It is no accident that the first of Timothy’s perilous
qualities will be a life that is centered in self. The adjective used is
philautos, which means self-loving. Love of self is the basic sin, from
which all others flow. The moment a man makes his own will the centre of life,
divine and human relationships are destroyed, obedience to God and charity to
men both become impossible. The essence of Christianity is not the enthronement
but the obliteration of self. Men would become lovers of money (philarguros).
We must remember that Timothy's work lay in Ephesus, perhaps the greatest
commercial and economic market in the ancient world. Ephesus was a prosperous
town, the epitome of 1st century materialistic civilization. Perilous times
always come when men assess prosperity by the acquisition of material things.
The Bible warns that a man may lose his soul far more easily in prosperity than
during adversity; and he is on the way to losing his soul when he assesses that
the value of life is measured by the number of things which he possesses.
Materialism and selfism leads to a society laden with braggarts and arrogance. (huperephano
- meaningto show oneself above all others and become
contemptible of those who disagree) These twin qualities of the braggart and the
arrogant man inevitably result in love of insult (blasphemia), which
always degrades from insulting man to insulting God who made man in his image.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 But they that will be rich fall into temptation
and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in
destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows.

Proud, Boasters, Heady and Highminded

Perhaps no other successive generations in history has
demonstrated more arrogance and haughtiness than the “me generation” and the “x
generation” of our times. Boasters are braggarts. High-minded means to be
conceited and lifted up with self worth and pride.

Egoism, and the inability to apologize or to say, “I’m sorry”
is rampant in a proud society. The only thing that matters to a proud and
haughty generation is self-promotion, and at any cost. Our modern politicians
exemplify this trait. Fault is always laid at some other doorstep. Today’s
culture is impatient and reacts with rash judgements. (Jude 1:16

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own
lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in
admiration because of advantage.)

Blasphemers

Railing accusations against God have never been so popular as they are today.
Modern culture recoils at the very idea of God, his commandments, and his Holy
Word. The wave of tolerance of any god except the one true omnipotent,
omniscient, and omnipresent God of scripture has become common. People hate the
God of the Bible today more than at any time in history! Atheism abounds in most
areas of the world today as never before in history. When mankind has reached
the point where he views this world and possessions as the only value in life,
he naturally begins the downward spiral of degradating his fellow man, and
ultimately to blaspheming the Creator.

Without Natural Affection

Perhaps no other sign is as relevant to our modern culture
that this one. Natural affection has to do with hard-heartedness. Jesus said
that in the last days the love of many would wax cold, and that fact has never
been more apparent than in the issue of Abortion. The natural love of a mother
for her own baby in today’s modern culture is being destroyed. Also the natural
love of men and women as designed by God is quickly being maligned by an
infesting and exploding assault of demonic spirits in the area of sexuality.
Sexual perversion of unimaginable deviance is considered normal today.
Homosexuality, lesbianism, gay marriage, beastiality, pedophilia, pornography,
group sex, orgies, swapping, you name it. Today it is considered normal and an
alternative lifestyle that is quickly gaining legal acceptance, rather than
being a crime against humanity.

Modern culture finds a society lacking human affection (astorgos).
Storge is the word used especially of family love, the love of child for
parent and parent for child. If there is no human affection, the family cannot
exist. In the perilous times of the last days men will be so enamored with
self-love that even the closest natural ties will be mean nothing to them.

Disobedient, Unthankful and Unholy

The traditional Judeo-Christian family is under
demonic attack in culture today like never before in history. As a result of
divorce, alternative lifestyles, materialism, and social pressures, parenting is
being redefined, and in many cases dissolved. Thanklessness (acharistos)
abounds in today’s world, as heritage values and personal responsibility are
disregarded in lieu of self-love. (Romans1:29-31 Being filled with allunrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full
of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of
God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to
parents, Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection,
implacable, unmerciful:) The US national data handbook indicates that
alcohol is present in about 70% of violent crimes in America, and in about 90%
of family abuse crimes. Eight out of ten American teenagers have sex before
marriage. About 40% of unwed teenage pregnancies in America end in abortion.
Seven out of ten black children and 3.5 out of ten white American children in
America live in homes without their natural father. Teenage and young-adult
violence is a growing epidemic, as evidenced by school shootings and teenage
gangs. National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys indicate that 25% of American school
kids now carry a weapon to school.

Truce Breakers and False Accusers

Ever wonder why it is so hard to have peace in the Middle East, or anywhere
else for that matter? Diplomats and politicians meet and expend great efforts to
craft a formula for peace, and yet it never works, Why? Because men lie and
disdain the truth, and they devise clever schemes to get whatever they want.
Honor and Statesmanship no longer mean anything. Modern man’s concept of human
conflict resolution does not consider that man’s heart and nature is evil.
Adolph Hitler was once quoted as saying, “tell a lie often enough and soon it
will accepted as fact”. Unfortunately, Hitler’s theory on lying has become the
accepted norm in national and international politics. Yasser Arafat has
incorporated the habitual lying technique to great success. But here in America
we call the spirit of deception partisanship, or political correctness.

Incontinent

Incontinent means to be without any personal self-control or
inhibition, especially in the areas of sexual behavior, and material
ingratiation. Incontinence promotes lust and greed, and filthy lifestyles, as
well as filthy health-styles. (lasciviousness, licentiousness, and wantonness-aselgeia)
It is obvious that this symptom is prevalent and overriding in America today,
especially in light of the multi-billion dollar pornography industry, and the
sexual violence that engulfs our land. Over 60% of all web-sites on the Internet
are pornographic web-sites. The US Department of Justice
estimates the child pornographic market to be a $2 to 3 billion dollar-a-year
market, making it one of the world's largest cottage industries. The
relationship of pornography to child sexual abuse is compelling. In a study of
convicted child molesters, 77% of those who molested boys said they were regular
users of hard-core pornography. And 87% of those who molested girls said they
were regular users of hard-core pornography. Crime statistics show that all
types of crimes, especially sex-related crimes, occur with more frequency in
neighborhoods where sexually oriented businesses are located, yet the ACLU has
managed to get the U.S. Supreme Court to rule unconstitutional any laws
prohibiting the free exercise of any kind of pornography. (child porn,
pedophilia, etc.)

Mankind has become ungovernable by being unable to control their desires (akrates).
The Greek verb kratein means to control. A man can reach a stage when, so
far from controlling it, he can become a slave to some habit or desire. That is
the inevitable way to ruin, for no man can master anything unless he first
masters himself. This is one of Satan’s cleverest ploys.

Fierce, Traitors

Mans inhumanity to man has always been exceeding, but in today’s
technologically advanced world with the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction, and man’s own penchant for savagery, brutality, and deviousness,
evil knows no bounds, especially in light of the fact that our world
acknowledges no standard of absolute moral truths, and possesses a covetous
thankless heart. Treachery and faithlessness abound. Friendship and legal
contracts today have become meaningless in the mad dash to accumulate worldly
success and fame.

Despisers of Those that are Good

A sure sign of a decadent, pagan, deviant or ungodly society
is personified best in the fact that an anti-Christian culture will above all
else despise those that are good and that stand for righteousness. (Luke
21:17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.) (John
15:18-19 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated
you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are
not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you.) Evidence

for the present age being a part of the prophesied perilous
times in the Last Days is the fact that America has repudiated its Christian
heritage by deploring prayer, Bible reading and the Ten Commandments, and any
reference to God. Today’s liberal minded social engineers deride America’s
Christian roots and through multi-faceted means (ACLU, TV, movies, etc) portray
Christian precepts as outdated and intolerant. (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 For
God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that
despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy
Spirit.) (Luke 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that
despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent
me.)

Isaiah 5:20-23 Woe unto them
that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for
darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that
are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that
are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which
justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous
from him!

Form of Godliness (Without Power)

A 2001 study by the Barna Research Group revealed that only
41 percent of adults in America’s 12 largest denominations could truly be
classified as "born again Christians." This conclusion was not based on whether
they believed that they were born again, but on their own statements of what
makes one born again. Americans call themselves Christian today, but rarely
attend church, and most do not even know what makes one a Christian, nor do they
acknowledge or believe in the most fundamental doctrines of Christianity. Thus
today’s modern Church is cold, lukewarm, and compromising, and completely and
complicitly absorbed into religious fables and all manner of false gods.
Congregations by and large want a church that is program-minded and function as
a socio-cultural-religious center of community-inclusiveness. Thus most modern
churches do not want to hear the “separated and divisive message” of the
uncompromising Gospel. Scriptural doctrine has become harmful and disdainful to
the ears many modern churchgoers.

(II Peter 2:1-2 But there were false prophets also
among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and
bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious
ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.) (Titus
1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being
abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.) (II Timothy
4:3-4

For the time will come (perilous times indeed) when
they (churches) will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn
away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.)

Ever Learning (But Denying the Truth)

As prophesied by Daniel the prophet, the last days, and the
perilous times that shall accompany them, shall be marked by a vast increase in
worldly knowledge, but plagued by an overwhelming lack of spiritual wisdom. The
discernment of the truth is an ability that has all but disappeared in our
modern world because we have abandoned the idea of absolute truth, and
repudiated God’s holy word, the source of truth and wisdom. Thus we are ever
learning but never coming to an understanding of the truth. (Daniel 12:4
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of
the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.)
Modern man places a higher priority on science and philosophy than he places on
the word of God. Thus we find ourselves following such theories as evolution,
and denying the existence of a Creator God and his law.

Ephesians 4:17-19 This I say therefore, and testify in
the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the
vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given
themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness
with greediness.

Colossians 3:5-6 Mortify therefore your members which are
upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things'
sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

Perilous times in the last days? Might we be
there? Do you see the danger zone? Having reviewed Timothy’s list of the
dangerous traits and pitfall areas that will be prevalent in the world in the
last days, what do you now think? Does it sound familiar? Can you identify these
symptoms in our world today? The prominence of all these disturbing cultural
problems today is even more pronounced when we review all the statistics and
charts compiled by National and Federal Commissions studying crime, pornography,
child abuse, drug abuse, rape, teenage pregnancy, teen-suicide, domestic
violence, and family trends. They reveal that the year 1963 became a turning
point in an exponentially accelerating slide towards total cultural depravity.
The bottom line is this, things are not getting better, they are getting worse
and worse. And that brings me to another point in why things are getting
progressively worse. Timothy referred to the spiritual deception and
supernatural exploits of Jannes and Jambres in mimicking the miracles of God
through Moses. Satan can also perform wonders, or illusions of miracles.

He can empower his earthly and heavenly agents with some
astounding powers. But the magic of darkness is always intended to deceive and
to lead people away from the truth.

II Timothy 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do
these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate
concerning the faith.

The most devious characteristic about the “perilous
times of these Last Days” is the spiritual and religious deception that will
pervade the world. Doctrinal deception, lying spirits, great wonders, and
miracle movements in the last days will be the calling card of the spirit of
Satan’s Antichrist and the False Prophet. When churches have fallen away to such
an extent that preachers teach and congregations condone doctrines that ordain
homosexuality, and cast Jesus as a casual sinner, then perilous times are indeed
here!

Today’s “churchianity” not only denies the doctrinal truths
of the Bible, but incorporates

some of the most blasphemous ideals in the world into the
very makeup of the church. Churchianity is a gospel that makes mankind feel good
about the self and to enjoy emotional experiences but never manifests any
convicting power, or inspires any defense of the doctrinal truth. No wonder
Timothy went on to expound upon the need for true Christians to defend the
Gospel, and to rebuke false teaching, and to reprove false messengers in chapter
four.

A recent (2003) Barna Research Poll on Christianity in America revealed:

Six out of ten Americans (59%) reject the existence of
Satan, indicating that the devil, or Satan, is merely a symbol of evil.

A slight majority of adults (51%) believe that "praying
to deceased saints can have a positive effect in a person's life." Not
surprisingly, there is a massive difference between Protestants and
Catholics on this matter, with Catholics twice as likely to embrace the
idea (80% versus 41%). What is surprising is the large share of Protestants
that believe in praying to dead saints. Amazingly, one out of every six
so-called evangelicals (16%) and half of the non-evangelical born again
Christians (50%) also believe in praying to dead saints. Three out of
ten presumed born again Christians believe in communication with the dead.

A large majority of religious Americans believe that Jesus Christ
actually committed sins!

Protection from eternal condemnation for one's sins is widely considered
to be earned rather than received as a free gift from God. Half of all
adults (50%) argue that anyone who "is generally good or does enough good
things for others during their life will earn a place in Heaven." Even
four out of ten Protestants accept this view of salvation ensured by good
deeds. Of Baptists surveyed, 57 percent believed that works play a
part in salvation and 45 percent believed that Jesus was not sinless.

Three fourths of American church people deny the doctrine of original
sin in favor of a rational choice approach to human nature. At least seven
out of ten members of every demographic segment examined accepts the notion
of choice over that of original sin. Unexpectedly, the survey data reveal
that a slight majority of evangelicals (52%) also buy this notion.

Almost half of Americas (44%) contend that, "the Bible, the Koran and
the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual
truths." Just 38% of Americans reject that idea.

Most Americans believe "truth can be discovered only through logic,
human reasoning and personal experience." A majority of Americans (54%)
embrace this perspective, which is at odds with both the traditional
Protestant belief that the Bible is the source of absolute truth. Even 46%
of Protestants agree with this notion compared to 62% of Catholics.

By a two-to-one margin, Americans reject the idea that, "the Bible does
not specifically condemn homosexuality.

If that isn’t mind-boggling, consider that nearly 1/3 of all preachers
don’t believe in Jesus literal resurrection from the dead.

Over the past 40 years or so we have seen the nation's theological
views slowly become less aligned with the Bible. Even so-called Christians have
increasingly adopted spiritual views that come from other religions. The passing
on of a Christian heritage from one generation to the next has rapidly
dissipated in America, until America is no longer considered to be a Christian
nation. Thus America has abandoned the God of the Bible and is more and more
becoming enamored with other gods! Continuing religious research among young
people shows that the national trend is away from traditional biblical doctrine
in favor of a more popular culture-based theology that is ecumenical at its
core. Considering that God says that he is a god that changes not (Malachi 3:6),
one must wonder why all the changing.

Using the above research data compared to the basic
beliefs in an all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect God who created and rules the
universe, and that salvation is by grace alone, and that God sent his son to pay
for sins by dying sinless on a cross, was resurrected and is coming back is
included in the definition of an "evangelical," we find that only 8 percent of
Americans qualify to meet the true definition of a Christian. That statistic is
staggering and sobering! I truly believe that many of America’s churches are
filled with members that don’t even know what it means to be a Christian. No
wonder Bible prophecy is taboo in most churches! I haven’t conducted any
scientific polls on the matter, but from my own experience in teaching and
preaching Bible prophecy in churches, I can easily believe that less than 10% of
church members today believe in the imminent coming of Jesus and the study of
Bible prophecy. For this very reason Jesus said that he would come in an hour ye
think not. (Matthew 24:42-44) It would seem to me that the Devil has a perfect
stage today to perpetrate his “grand delusion” upon an unsuspecting and
spiritually deceived world.

II Timothy 3:13 But evil men and
seducers (goao) shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and
being deceived.

Evil Men and Spiritual Seducers Set Snares for the Righteous

Timothy continues here to comment that the perilous times of
the last days would see evil men getting worse and worse, rather than better.
While it is certainly true that many of these perilous traits have existed
throughout most of the (church age) 20 centuries since Timothy expounded upon
them, there has also undeniably been an exponential spiraling increase in the
intensity and prevalence of these symptoms of moral and religious decadence
since the simultaneous rebirth of Israel, and the benign inception of the great
falling away. (last 50 years) Unquestionably today’s phenomenon of modern
terrorism is in view in this text, and portends that the evil terrorists of our
time are assisting and abetting with the spirit of Antichrist in today’s
perilous times that will accelerate the world headlong into the Great
Tribulation. But closely paralleling the increased evil tendency of mankind in
the last days is the vector of seducement by false prophets and false teachers.
(wolves in sheep’s clothing) Seducers are simply spiritual imposters, or workers
of spiritual wizardry! They compel upon the religious to engage in repetitive
chants when singing or preaching and to make them become more pliable to
succumbing to false doctrines, by leavening the truth with gradually increasing
poisonous laces of scriptural perversion. Satan utilizes the unrighteous to
prepare snares to entangle the righteous. You may ask; would God allow the
wicked to overcome the righteous? The Lord is just and must judge the righteous
as well as the wicked, and often when the righteous go astray and do not heed
the call of repentance, they require God’s righteous judgment. (Psalms 7:11 God
judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.) And now more
than ever before, in these perilous last days, Satan is seeking to weaken the
resistance of the righteous in order to foment his conspiracy of the end times.

Psalms 11:2-3 For, lo,

the wicked bend
their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily
shoot at the upright in heart. If the
foundations be destroyed,---
what can the righteous do?

The end times conspiracy of the Antichrist involves a subtle scheme to target
the true bride of Christ. The Psalmist pinpoints the fact that the wicked are
privily (secretly) used by the powers of darkness to lay snares for righteous
people and for righteous nations, to choke off the restraining power of the Holy
Spirit. Paul alluded to this conspiracy of the evil one becoming a prevailing
influence in the Last Days. Jesus also taught that the Last Days would be so
perilous, that he even wondered aloud if he would find any faith on the earth
when he returned. (Luke 18:8) The true church of the Last Days can expect to
find itself seemingly to be up against insurmountable odds, but the Lord has
promised that he would rescue his church at the midnight hour! Therefore, Jesus
left as last command to watch, and be on the alert for the perils of end time
Satanic assaults. If the church can be so deceived, what possible hope can any
civil government have against the onslaught of such sinister forces of spiritual
darkness?

Our American Republic for example, was a nation that was
founded, not by human religionists, self-serving humanists, or even atheists,
but by Bible believing Christians. They believed that the American republic
should be based on the proposition that only God can grant life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness, and not the government and human rationale. With the now
four decades long decline in the fundamental doctrines of Christianity one must
retrace the erosion of America's foundations. Why have we found ourselves
engulfed in perilous times? We have challenged God's existence (creator vs.
evolution) in the 1920's Scopes Monkey trial, then questioned our founding
father's intelligence in 1947 by reinterpreting the Separation of Church and
State to be exactly opposite from their intent. Then in 1963, we began to
practice political correctness by eradicating God, the Bible and prayer out of
schools, courthouses, and public venues. The great enemy of the salvation of
man, in my opinion, never invented a more effectual means of extirpating
Christianity from the world than by persuading mankind that it was improper to
read the Bible at schools. One must ponder the attacks on our American
foundation and the re-Constitutional construction in recent decades. How do
they explain the fact that the Bible and the 10 Commandments came to be in such
a prominent place in our government and schools in the first place! Our
Founding Fathers held them in high esteem and incorporated them into our
national fabric! But alas, America's churches and pastors and Christian
leadership have sat on their big fat duffs for decades without defending our
Christian Republic. Where was the outcry from Christian leaders in 1947, in
1963? As the verse above from Psalms eleven indicates, the unrighteous forces
prepared a slick offensive against Christianity in America that they might shoot
the upright in the heart. Now, with yet another slap at God's Commandments,
where is the righteous power to do anything about it? It is gone, because it is
probably too late as we have allowed the enemies of Christ too much of a
foothold in our country. The evil forces are now in control! Perilous times are
upon us! What can the righteous do if the foundations be destroyed?
Absolutely nothing! We Christians have blown
our national heritage by allowing the foundations of our republic to be
destroyed by the enemy.

History verifies that civilizations tend to fall apart in
three stages: As a nation turns away from God and loses contact with Him, God
releases that culture (removes his hedge of protection) from his influence and
allows it to be more and more exposed to the forces of evil, and to pursue its
prodigal way.

Stage One often involves a sexual revolution beginning with
increasing heterosexual immorality: premarital sex, and adultery. In the U.S.
this phase started about a decade after World War II. (1950’s) These outward
expressions of heterosexual sins which are latent in the heart reflected a
breakdown in the integrity of family life.

Stage Two in a collapsing society is the appearance and
acceptance of homosexual immorality. This is of course one step further removed
from God's intended purpose for marriage and sexual expression.

Stage Three is the appearance of violence in society,
terrorism and terrible crimes: child abuse, kidnapping and the murder of
innocents, bizarre evils which defy rational explanation. During this last stage
good is often called evil and evil is named as good. The moral order becomes
been turned upside down. The only sure solution is a widespread return to God at
all levels of society, and unfortunately for America, I see no revival and
therefore no escape from the perilous times of the Last Days. The stage is being
set for Antichrist and the Tribulation era.

II Timothy 2:26 And that they
may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by
him at his will.

Before Timothy embarked into his narrative concerning the
perilous times of the Last Days, he admonished the servants of Jesus to be on
guard to recover themselves from any snares of the Devil. Satan, the clever
conspirator is seeking in these final days to get an advantage over Christians
and the church. (II Corinthians 2:11) The “Perilous Times that Timothy spoke of
are here. They have crept up on us unaware. Nevertheless we as the faithful
stalwart followers of Jesus Christ have no need of fear or intimidation. In
these logistical perilous times before the final conflict over Israel, Jesus is
our rock, our strength, and our Blessed Hope. Is it any wonder God’s Holy word
ends with these comforting words.

Revelation 22:20-21

Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all. Amen.